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Aquatint is a printmaking technique of the intaglio family, that is in some sense a cross between etching and mezzotint. As in etching, acid is used to bite the plate, creating pits that will hold ink; as in mezzotint, the aquatinting process is used to create an overall rough tooth to the plate that will hold a large area of ink to print a solid block of color; the image is created from dark to light by smoothing the tooth to create highlights.A metal plate is dusted evenly (or unevenly) with finely particulate resin. The plate is then heated to melt the resin to the surface. Biting the plate with acid creates a fine, rough texture on the plate. Before biting, the artist may use asphaltum to block areas that will print clear; after biting, the artist may use a burin to smooth areas of the plate, lightening them for printing.
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